Life on Earth emerged due to the Big Bang, which gave birth to diverse living organisms, including the greatest creation of God: human beings. Human beings are extraordinary creatures that are equipped with spectacular capabilities to think, analyze, and interpret. In The Call of the Marching Bell, Allama Muhammad Iqbal rightly postulates the magnificent creation of mankind. He states that life is the mysterious formation of Adam, and it is the essence of the words “be and it was.” Let’s now explore the diverse shades of human personality that make them the most distinguished creatures.
Human personality is a blend of unique attributes and traits that define an individual’s character. Many Western psychologists explain personality according to their respective research Diverse schools of thought flourished in the early nineteenth century to explain human personality. They include behaviorism, the psychoanalytic theory, the trait theory, and the social learning theory. However, according to the Islamic perspective, the development of personality is dependent on the spiritual nature of an individual. Abu Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali was without a doubt one of the most eminent Islamic thinkers in this regard. He devoted his life to learning and teaching.
Abû Hâmid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazâlî (c. 1056–1111), commonly known as Al-Ghazali, was a well-known and influential philosopher, sufi theologian, and mystic. His contribution helped in the revival of the spiritual aspect of Islam, paving the enlightenment journey of the Muslim world. Imam Al-Ghazali was born in Tus, an ancient Persian city located in Iran near Mashhad. He received religious education from prominent scholars of his time.
Having a zealous mindset and keen interest in comprehending the spiritual states of human beings led him to gain the attention of Seljuk vizier, Nizam al-Mulk, who designated him as a chief professor at the Nizâmiyya Madrasa of Baghdad. Al-Ghazali excelled in the area of Sufism, or tasawwuf, Islamic philosophy and theology. He wrote myriad books, including the most famous, Ihya Ulum al-din (Revival of the Religious Sciences) and Kīmiyā’ al-Sa‘ādah (Alchemy of Happiness). Revival is a series of forty books, serving as a guide to ethical behavior for Muslims in their daily lives.
Al-Ghazali’s work relied heavily on the teachings of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to prepare Muslims for the afterlife. His works are the paradigm in the domains of philosophy, politics, mysticism, morality, and rational knowledge. He refuted the works of several Muslim scholars; he ascribed them to falsely focusing on the material life. His untiring efforts in exploring the manifold secrets of human personality have encouraged mankind to ponder its miraculous creation. It continues to influence people even in contemporary times.
Al-Ghazali posits there are two realms: the realm of decrees and the realm of creation and since humans have both a physical body and a soul, they fall into both of these categories. Al-Ghazali used the terms al-aql (intellect), al-nafs (soul), al-qalb (heart), and al-rūh (spirit) to describe the spirituality of humans. The quality within the human spirit, he says, ranges from animalistic to angelic.
According to al-Ghazali, human beings possess a range of spiritual qualities. These include:
Human beings are characterized by the nature of animals. Animals are involved in eating, drinking, and bearing progeny. On the other hand, mankind is related to the nature of Satan. Satan’s evils are provoking deception, encouraging one to lie, and inducing rivalry. Moreover, human beings possess anger, which instigates conflict. Nonetheless, the characteristics of angels are also present within humans since the soul has heavenly attributes. Human beings are constantly engaged in the struggle to adopt the attributes of the spirit. When the spirit dominates through reflection and submission, a person ascends to the level of angels; otherwise, he is inferior to animals.
Al-Ghazali uses the word nafs to describe the human personality. Human personality is divided into three types that reside in the human soul: notably, nafs al-ammārah (the prompting soul), nafs al-lawwāmah (the self-reproaching soul), and nafs al-muţmainnah (the contented soul). The first type of personality, nafs al-ammārah, is formed when the human soul becomes infected with negative desires. It leads one to commit evil and sinful acts. Nafs al-ammārah incapacitates the cognitive process, and the psychological potential of reason becomes a servant of instinctive desires and anger.
On the contrary, nafs al-lawwāmah is a self-critical personality in which the human soul blames oneself for evil acts and struggles to suppress animalistic attributes. Moreover, the faculty of reason endeavors to subjugate the impulses. Educating this personality with moral goodness and knowledge can help it attain angelic status. The third personality, nafs al-muţmainnah, is a tranquil, calm, happy, and peaceful personality. The human soul has conquered wicked desires, and it yields to the faculty of reason, thus leading to the state of serenity. The soul’s contentment lies in its submission to God, which helps a person achieve peace of mind and body.
But what makes human beings so unique, and what differentiates them from the animal kingdom? The answer is simple: It is the purity of the heart. The heart has a spiritual potential that can be related to God and serves as an abode of intuitive knowledge. Ghazali views it as the heart where the soul dwells. It is through the heart that a person can comprehend the secrets of life.
Abu Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali explains in Alchemy of Happiness that the heart has two doors. One is the spiritual or unseen world, and the other is the physical or tangible world. When a man’s heart is cleansed from instinctive desires such as lust and anger, his heart becomes pure. It reflects the true light of the soul, transforming his corporeal existence into a higher spiritual intellect. The concept of a purified heart can be seen in the verses from the Mathnawi written by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi.
Thus, a pure heart is no longer of this world. It now has a direct relationship with the unseen, guiding an individual through all the thick and thin of life. This transformation of man leads to a psychological state of bliss and peace.
Human beings need to realize the value of happiness, which directs a positive approach to life. Humanity needs to realize that it’s the most majestic creature on planet Earth. It is bestowed with striking capacities that can change its physical existence into that of a radiant spiritual individual.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
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